NNSA Blog

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu recently awarded the recipients of the 2011 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for their outstanding contributions in research and development supporting the Department of Energy and its missions. Three recipients from Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories were among the nine winners. Recipients in each category received a gold medal, a citation and $20,000.

It was a banner day for two NNSA/NNSS contractors as they were re-certified as Star Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). National Security Technologies (NSTec) and WSI Nevada Team received their certificates and banners from NNSA Nevada Site Manager Stephen A. Mellington. VPP promotes effective worksite-based safety and health. In the VPP, management and labor establish cooperative relationships at the workplace to implement a comprehensive safety and health management system.

For NSTec this is their fourth Star Certification, which is the highest level under VPP. WSI is in their 11th year of VPP Star Status.

“Achieving this status demonstrates the willingness of NNSS contractors to collaborate for efficiency and establish continuity. In this case, it is in the areas of worker health and safety,” said Mellington.

About the picture:

Holding the banner is Mike Kinney (L) of NSTec and WSI Nevada Team Security Police Officer Will Stinson. NSTec President and General Manager Dr. Raymond Juzaitis (L) and David Bradley General Manager, WSI Nevada Team (R) hold certificates presented to their companies by Stephen A. Mellington (C), NNSA Nevada Site Office Manager.

This year, 23 children and seven spouses of Pantexans were selected to receive scholarships of up to $1,000 to help with their college education. B&W Pantex has been administering the annual scholarship program since taking over as the Pantex Management and Operating contractor in 2001.

“B&W Pantex recognizes the importance of education,” Woolery said. “These students have worked hard and we look forward to seeing what they will accomplish as they continue their studies.”

About the photo:

B&W Pantex General Manager John Woolery, left, congratulates Alex Graham, right, while his mother, Pantex Historian Monica Graham looks on at a reception honoring winners of the B&W Pantex scholarship program Monday.

The 2012 NNSA Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Symposium is set for Tuesday, June 12. This year’s theme is “Discovery and Innovation for National Security” featuring highlights of game-changing, mission-relevant research supported by the LDRD Program throughout NNSA.

The symposium also includes technical talks and poster presentations by NNSA laboratory researchers relevant to national security missions. At day’s end, Victor Reis, Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, will lead a panel discussion on discovery and innovation issues for national security.

The Y-12 National Security Complex today held a ceremony in celebration of receiving Voluntary Protection Plan (VPP) Star status from DOE for excellence in occupational safety and health protection. The ceremony marked the start of Y-12 flying a VPP flag over the site's New Hope Center.

Dan Hoag, NNSA acting site manager, said achieving DOE-VPP Star status is a significant achievement for B&W Y-12. "It is a symbol of excellence in the pursuit of health and safety," he said. "VPP represents a strong commitment by Y-12 employees, the unions and management to continually strive for a safe workplace.”

Several NNSA employees had the opportunity to meet and mingle with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday on the South Lawn of the White House. The event drew more than 1,000 employees from throughout the federal government. Seen here is Will D'Ercole, son of NNSA Director of Congressional Affairs Jed D'Ercole.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have for the first time simulated and quantified the early stages of radiation damage that will occur in a given material. A full understanding of the early stages of the radiation damage process provides knowledge and tools to manipulate them to the fullest advantage.

Nuclear radiation leads to highly energetic ions that can penetrate large distances within matter, often times leading to the accumulation of damage sites as the projectile passes through the material.

During this process, the energetic ions eventually slow down as energy is lost by friction with the materials’ electrons. Like a speedboat moving through a calm body of water, the passage of fast ions creates a disturbance in the electron density in the shape of a wake.

Model of the electronic wake (blue surfaces) generated by an energetic proton (red sphere) traveling in an aluminum crystal (yellow spheres). The resulting change in electronic density is responsible for modification of chemical bonds between the atoms and consequently for a change in their interactions.

Maintenance Support and Utilities Management personnel at NNSA's Y-12 National Security Complex have taken steps to make sure old utility poles aren’t sent to the landfill. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division and Y-12 staff collaborated to deliver utility poles to Lone Mountain State Forest’s parking lots.

Mike Disney, Y-12 Power Operations section manager, said, “It’s good that we can help other agencies, save tax dollars, and help save the environment all at the same time. Opportunities like this don’t happen very often.”

After the old utility poles were inspected and approved for off-site use, six forestry service employees brought five lumber trucks on site in October 2011. Y-12’s line crew cut the 90-foot poles into smaller sections and helped load the trucks. The lumber trucks eventually hauled away more than 100 poles.

Cables pass through holes in waist-high sections of the poles, creating a border and confining vehicles and horse trailers to designated parking areas. In the near future, forestry personnel will use some of the poles as structure posts for a much-needed pavilion that will provide cover for Morgan and Roane County wildland firefighting equipment. Other sections of the poles will be used to block motorized vehicles from using the horse trails.

Additional uses for the old poles have been found. The U.S. Department of Energy is using some of the old poles at its secure transportation courier training facility in Oak Ridge. Some of the poles have been used to build a façade for a bunker on a live firing range. Additional poles have been stockpiled, and a combat conditioning course will be built as soon as funding is provided.

Pantex volunteers recently made lunch for 350 honor roll students as part of the plant’s ongoing efforts to support academic achievement in area youth, particularly in areas such as science and math. This is the second year in a row Pantex has cooked lunch for the A and A-B honor roll students from Sam Houston Middle School in Amarillo.